I have been really impressed with the number of close scrapes so far in the tourney. All of the big names (save for the 1 seeds) have played close affairs. Duke had to play great last night, Illinois was tested, Kansas was in a close one, Wake almost got outplayed today, etc.

While there are always some close games, there are usually a number of blowouts as well. Not seeing that so far. All four top seeds cruised, but most of the other games played were close affairs (save for Purdue ripping LSU today). A number of nail biters as well.

The NC State/Cal game yesterday was awesome. I thought the Wolfpack were advancing when I said, "Where did that Bear come from?" Three pointer and game over.

It is nice to see teams somewhat evenly matched. While upsets take the brackets apart, it is nice to see some teams (like Central Michigan) outplay their favored counterparts to the end.

The one unfortunate thing of many of the close games is that the underdog buckles at the end. Duke had a little help from CSU at the end of the game yesterday. And Illinois took advantage of some late mistakes. And Mizzou won because SIU failed to execute their final 3 or 4 possessions. Teams keep it close, but it is hard to go for the kill when you are surprised to have a shot.